Maundy Thursday, some songs…

Maundy Thursday occurs on the Thursday before Easter. In the Christian tradition, it commemorates the events of the Last Supper when Jesus shared the Passover meal with his disciples on the night before he was crucified. Immediately after the supper, Jesus took a walk to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” – Luke 22:39-46

There are countless songs written over the last 1000 years to depict this moment in Christ’s life. Among the best is a wordless gospel blues by Blind Willie Johnson (1927?). The song recalls Christ at his weakest, most dark and doubting moment and then recounts his suffering. Ry Cooder said “Dark Was The Night–Cold Was The Ground” is the most soulful, transcendent piece of American music recorded in the 20th Century. Appropriately, the song is included on a golden record affixed to the star bound Voyager space probe–now 11 billion miles away from our sun.

While not specifically depicting Christ’s agony in the garden, Crucifixus by Antonio Lotti (1667-1740), is a breathtaking depiction of Christ’s suffering on the cross for the sins of the world.